“Orquídeas” is an album that is one big tribute to Colombia, whose music Kali Uchis owes a lot. Hence the title – after all, the orchid is considered the national symbol of this country. Even though Kali Uchis was born in the United States, Colombia is her homeland, which is reflected on this album from the first to the last track.
Despite the diversity that can be heard on this album, each of the songs fits into the unique, dreamlike style of Kali Uchis. Even the guests, of whom there are a lot, did not violate this. The loudest of them is undoubtedly the Colombian Karol G, who recorded the single “Labios Mordidos”. This song is a kind of manifesto of women who sing about their independence and domination over men, which is a reversal of a certain trend that prevails in reggaeton lyrics.
However, it is worth paying attention to the singles Kali decided to release, because they show how much the songs from “Orquídeas” contrast with each other. On the one hand we have “Muñekita” with El Alfa and JT, whose style is a perfect showcase of reggaeton. The other “Te Mata”, whose characteristics perfectly match the bolero. There are plenty of these differences on the album, but I have the impression that the album should be treated as a journey through Latin music, that Kali Uchis had a greater goal – to make people understand that she is more than just artists like Alvaro Soler and Luis Fonsi.
Despite the high level of the entire album, in my opinion the song deserves special attention “Igual Que Un Angel” with Mexican rapper Peso Pluma. There is something amazing about the combination of these two artists, even though they seem to be completely incompatible with each other. The song creates an amazing aura of dreamy idyll with a rather heavy rhythm, in which their voices complement each other perfectly. Just like on the legendary song “See You Again” by Tyler, The Creator and Kali Uchis, which emphasizes that the singer can perfectly blend into a song with rappers.
Despite the common opinion that English-language music sells better, Kali Uchis is another example of how much this opinion is losing validity. “Orquídeas” is another milestone for Latin music. I hope that we will reach a point where pop music will no longer be associated only with Dua Lipa or Ariana Grande, and will also start with artists such as Kali Uchis, Rosalía, or the aforementioned Karol G, because they have just as much to offer.
Kali Uchis “Orquídeas”, Universal
9/10